A New Hope, A New Dream, A New Future
by Jmags-WriterofAwesomeness
Summary: A Cabbie story based off of a few Victorious episodes. Mild Bade and Tandre. Robbie is in love with Cat, but she is completely oblivious about his feelings-What will he do about it? Story is better than the summary. Rated T for cursing and mild innuendos.
1. Chapter 1 A New Hope

NOTE: I am also a part of the Victorious wiki, and I copied and pasted this story from my blogs that I posted on here, so I apologize if the captions are a little out of date.

Hey guys! I've been yearning to write a Cabbie story so badly but I could never come up with ideas that made Cat and Robbie seem a little OOC. But then, seeing The Breakfast Bunch and seeing all the cute Cabbie moments gave me an idea! I WAS planning on only making it a one-shot, but it may actually become a three-shot if I can come up with some good ideas :). This is basically Robbie's POV on the whole thing that happened with Cat (plus some "added" scenes not seen in the episode). I hope you guys enjoy it!

**WARNING #1: I do not own Victorious. If i did, Beck&Jade would stay a couple and Tori&Andre, Cat&Robbie, and Trina&Sinjin would already be couples.**

**WARNING #2: This is the user's first time writing a Victorious story so she apologizes if it's really, really bad! :O**

**WARNING #3: Intense Cabbie fluff inside! Also some mentions of Tandre and Bade. A curse word or two, but I think for the most part, you kids will leave this story unscarred. **

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><p><strong>ROBBIE'S POV<strong>

Ugh. I officially hate Saturday detentions. I've been yelled at all day for various reasons (one being the fact that i got them here in the first place) and I just want to go home, get into my bed, and go back to sleep after eating some mayonnaise.

And to make things worse, everyone just found out that I'm a vegan. Jade is just so mean sometimes! She harassed Cat and I all morning and then she got on Tori for being able to shoot an arrow with her feet. It's a good thing that she's with Beck to keep her mentally stable; otherwise who knows what damage she'd do to us... and Rex, for that matter, because she seems to hate him the most.

Being a vegan is just one of those weird things that I'm sensitive about but shouldn't be. I'm Robbie Shapiro and, truth be told, I am ashamed of a lot of things- my so-called "nerdiness," my social awkwardness (especially around the ladies), and Rex's insults to everyone that is NOT him- and this just happens to be one of them. You know why I don't go around telling people that I'm a vegan? Because that would just go on the Things-About-Robbie-To-Make-Fun-Of list.

I'll tell you right now that I've been made fun of my whole life, and what I suffer through now isn't even the worst of it. In middle school I've been stuffed into trash cans, beaten up, had my head stuck in a toilet, had my tongue stuck to a pole... You name the classic bullying technique, and I'll be able to tell you that I've been through it. Every day I'd come home beaten up and miserable while Rex would berate to me about how I was so weak and uncool and nerdy. It got so bad that I now have a therapist that I've been going to since 6th grade, and I personally think she's nutty in the head too because she doesn't believe that Rex is a real person either. I mean why can't anyone see that he's real? To me he is; for the last time, he is not a puppet!

I was pretty much about to give up on life after those few years of torture- until I got a letter asking me to go to Hollywood Arts. Apparently they had seen my videos on TheSlap and wanted me to audition, and of course I got in because if I didn't, I wouldn't be in stupid detention right now! And as soon as my first year at Hollywood Arts started, my life changed. Sure, people still made fun of me and Rex, but I made new friends, found my true passion (working with the technical equipment), and met many girls- including her.

Tori is very, very pretty. She can sing and dance like a pro, and she can do everything right (unlike me). She lights up a room when she walks in, all the boys fall to her feet, and everyone just loves her to death. But she's not my type. She's just too... perfect. And don't even get me started on her sister, who is also pretty but is greatly untalented and doesn't care a damn about anyone but herself. If I was just in it for the looks (like I was a year ago when she stage-kissed me), I would've already asked her to marry me or do something equally stupid! But no. Thank god I learned from that mistake. And you guys already know what I think about Jade (a.k.a The Devil in Disguise).

I'm talking about the other girl. The girl with hair the color of red velvet cupcakes and strawberries. The girl who is so naive and adorable that it makes my heart swell whenever I'm around her. The girl who can be jumping for joy around the room in one minute and hysterically crying the next. The girl that people don't take seriously and think that she is too dumb for her own good. Yes, I'm talking about Cat Valentine, my very first friend at Hollywood Arts who saved me from falling into a deep abyss and never getting out.

Miraculously, I only thought of her as a friend at first. It seemed like we were both so lost and hurt back then and were just looking for a friend to lean on. I was that person for her and she was that person for me. We leaned on each other until we met Beck, Jade, and Andre a couple of months later. Even when Tori came into the group a year later, we still remained really close and still are now. And it didn't take me long to realize that after everything we've been through- those first couple of months, the stage kiss, the disastrous visit with my Mamaw, her boyfriends and my "almost" girlfriends- that she was the only one I truly loved, the one I wanted to protect and be around all the time. Sure, I get attracted to other girls when they pay even the slightest bit of attention to me, but I just do that to ward off that feeling of rejection- rejection from that one girl who will always have a special place in my heart.

But ever since she kissed me on the cheek after I gave her that cotton candy machine near Christmas time, I decided to push out of the "Friend Zone" once and for all. And that leads me to what is happening right now- After dancing around wildly for no apparent reason other than the fact that we were extremely bored out of our minds (and high on tacos, for that matter), I'm sitting in a chair in the library while Andre and Beck are straightening my once-curly afro.

'Gonna look a lot better without these curls in your hair," Andre chuckles, smiling at me while examining Beck's handiwork.

I wince a little as I feel the heat of the straightener on my hair and the death of another little curl, but I still smile at Andre's compliment. "Hey, I like black curls," I say a little defensively but in a joking way.

Andre gives me a weird look, but i shrug it off like I always do when I get that look (which happens to be often). "So why are you guys being so nice to me?" I ask, changing the subject. They _are _being nicer than usual, which is awesome, of course, but a little suspicious at the same time.

Beck laughs. "Because you're letting us!" Andre joins in on the laughter and a big smile forms on my face. How did I get so lucky to have friends like these guys? We're all so different! Andre, the music whiz; Beck, the cool, dreamy actor; and me, the nerd with the puppet (whoops, I mean Rex!). But somehow, we seem to work out.

That being the nicest thing they've said to me in a while, I try to hug Beck while still sitting in the chair, but he pushes my arms away. Oh well, I guess some things never change.

"Okay, finished! You may now admire yourself in the mirror now," Beck says, handing me a mirror from Tori's purse. I look at myself and am instantly amazed; it's a whole new me!

"Wow guys, thanks! This is awesome!" I squeal (yes, guys can squeal too), clapping my hands in excitement. "Do you think she'll like it?"

"Yeah bro, but you're gonna look even more chill in these," Andre says, pulling out a sleeveless white shirt, a black tie, and grey sweatpants. As soon as I get a glimpse of the outfit, I grimace. Definitely not something I'd wear. But, in this case, I'll do whatever it takes to impress the girl of my dreams.

"You really think so?" I pick up the clothes and sling them onto my shoulder. "Thanks guys, for everything. Seriously."

"Hey, no need to get mushy, Rob. Just put on those clothes and go get your girl," Beck says, winking at me.

"And you guys don't mind me doing this, right?" I ask, just to make sure.

"Nope, already taken," Beck says, his face brightening as he receives a text message on his phone.

"And I already have a brown-haired beauty stuck in my mind," Andre says, also smiling as he receives a text at the same time Beck does.

"Jade says Cat is ready," Beck says, showing me the phone.

"So does Tori," Andre says, putting his phone back into his jean pocket.

"Wait- what? Jade is actually _helping _me?" I ask, astounded.

"She said it was the only way to get you to stop acting like a love-sick idiot and be normal for once in your life. So yeah, I guess she is, in a way."

I smile. Jade is pretty nasty most of the time, but I know that she can have a soft side, especially with Cat.

'Tell her I said thanks, too," I comment, still smiling secretly to myself as I walk to the bathroom to go change. I do like my sweaters and sweater vests, but boy, this outfit feels... comfortable. Loose, as if I don't have a care in the world, which is ironically how I'm feeling now.

When I come in, Beck whistles in approval and Andre makes a sound as if he had just burned his hand. I sneak to the door leading to where Cat is and peek through the window. There she is, working on her picture of the man on the moon. How cute is she?

"Wish me luck," I tell them, suddenly feeling a surge of confidence through me. And with once last nod, I let my shaky hand turn the doorknob and force myself to walk through the door.

At first I'm really nervous, looking at anywhere but her. My hands won't stop shaking, and my legs feel like when I was playing that motivational speaker with the jelly legs. My heart is about to jump out of my chest because it is beating so violently! Finally, I force myself to look at Cat drawing away. My heart then sinks. Of course she didn't see me walk in- I'm just a nobody.

Then she sees me. She glances, looks back down, then does a double take, as if she can't believe what she is looking at. Her mouth opens a little in surprise.

I smile nervously at her reaction and fumble anxiously with my tie. Her beautiful brown eyes and her cute, innocent face wipe my worries away, and I try to impress her by whipping my head to the side while trying to get one last curly bang out of my eye.

It seems to work. She looks at me from my toes to my head and smiles. She licks her candy-coated lips with her tongue and giggles shyly. I can't believe it! She _checked _me out. No girl has ever done that to me before! I am officially in love with this girl.

And then I think of something in some romance movie that I was forced to watch with my mom a couple of years ago. The boy and girl got on top of the tables and started to crawl towards each other. When they got to their respective ends of the table, they leaned over the gap and kissed. Knowing that Cat is into the sappy, romantic stuff, I take a bold risk. I walk over to the table and start crawling towards her.

To my utter surprise, Cat gets the jist of where I'm going with and gets out of her chair and hops on top of the table and starts crawling in my direction, a feisty look on her face. This is just so unreal! I feel like I'm dreaming...

When we reach the end of the tables, she gives me a puppy dog look, as if to say _Whatcha gonna do now? She _closes her eyes and waits for that magical moment. Oh my gosh, she's actually going to let me kiss her! I instantly feel like I'm floating on a cloud because I am just so happy. I start to lean too and pucker my lips, but I realize with dismay that the tables are too far apart! So instead, I bring my arm out and poke her nose with the lightest touch possible. I expect her to look disappointed, but instead she gives me that playful look again filled with happiness. I smile and we both look away shyly, stuck in our own little world...

And then I lean too much to the right by accident and tumble off the table. As a fall, I smack my head on the arm of the wooden chair parked next to the table. "Ow!" I cry out loudly, cursing in my head. I wince and fight back the tears of pain as i gently prod the spot where I had hit the chair. God damnit, that really hurt!

"Robbie!" Cat shouts, rushing over and plopping herself next to me. "Are you okay?" She rubbed her shoulder comfortingly and some of my pain goes away. Heck, she makes me feel better every time we talk! I certainly have it bad for her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I mutter, extremely disappointed that I ruined the moment. Of course I, the klutzy dork, had to screw everything up again. Why can't I just be perfect like Tori? That would solve a lot of my problems.

She helps me up and we sit on the table (that I fell off of earlier) together. We are silent for a little bit while I try and come up with something to say to her.

"Hey Cat?" I ask, seeing the blush creep up her cheekbones as I say her name.

"Yeah?" she says softly, locking her chocolate eyes on mine. I can feel myself melting in front of her, but surprisingly, I am able to keep myself sane. Suddenly, Rex's voice pops into my mind. _Wanna crunch the corn shell together? it _mocks me, pressuring me to say that out loud. I almost fall for his dirty little trick for a second, but then push it away because it's just rude and inappropriate. God, he's just annoying sometimes!

"Can I tell you a secret?"

She giggles softly. "Sure."

I fight the urge to get caught up in her sweet strawberry perfume and kiss her candy-coated lips as I lean in close and put my lips to her ear. "I was glad to find out that you are a vegan."

She blushes even more, as if I had just said that she's the prettiest girl in the world (which she is, by the way). She squeezes her eyes shut and giggles some more, and I can't help but laugh along with her. She is the most adorable thing I've ever seen!

"I have a secret for you too." she says, giving me the puppy dog look again.

"And what could that be, little miss Cat?" I joke playfully.

She laughs at my joke; she's the only girl I've ever known who actually finds my humor funny. She mimics what I had done before and whispers in my ear, "I'm glad you're a vegan, too."

_Oh, Cat. Sweet, innocent little Cat._ Here I was expecting her to confess her love for me, but this will do. A goofy smile appears on my face and we get stuck in a trance. However, the door opens, breaking the little spell cast upon us.

"Guys! Detention is over! Come on, let's go!" Tori shouts excitedly at the door. I glance at her, and she smiles knowingly at me when she sees Cat beside me.

I get up from the table and show her my arm. "Shall we?" I say, wiggling my eyebrows in a silly fashion.

Man, that grin will not come off her face. It just seems to get bigger and brighter whenever I talk. "We shall!" she says and we walk out the door, her clinging onto my shoulder. As we walk down the hall, we chat about how fun the day was and that we should get detention more often.

"Eeeep, a panda!" she squeals as she witness someone in a panda suit giving Tori a balloon. That's strange; what is a panda doing in the middle of the hallway? Beats me.

"Can you get me a panda, Robbie?" she asks me sweetly, and I think she's serious. She has the mind of a child, so youthful and naive, and that's what I love about her- she doesn't have a care in the world, and that's what makes her the little redhead she is.

I smile at her. Definitely not a real panda, but a stuffed one will do. "Anything for you," I respond, poking her forehead. She pretends to try and bite my finger, and we keep on talking and goofing around as we walk out of the school.

I give everyone special thank-you smiles and nods (especially Jade). They all smile back at me, even Jade, but it's more like a half smile, half scowl. But hey, I'll take what I can get for her.

I walk with a little bounce in my step, not knowing that someone was following close behind me. I'm almost there when I feel someone holding me back. I turn around and see Cat still cllinging onto my arm. She swings it around playfully and then does something I did not see coming: She takes out her gum from her mouth and places it in the palm of my hand. At first, I think _Ew! Why did she give me this, out of everything else she could've given me instead? _But then, as I watch her curl my fingers around the gum and give me a look of "Thanks for everything," I realize how special the gum really is. She's making up for the missed kiss! She is truly an amazing girl.

With one last longing look at me, she bounces away happily down the sidewalk in the direction of her house. My eyes stay locked on her as I put the gum to my mouth and chew it rigorously. Hmm, what an interesting taste. Sour apple with a bit of sweet strawberry. Man, I could get used to that taste- the taste of a wonderful, blissful dream.

Losing myself in my thoughts, I finally get on my bike with Rex in the front basket and bike in the opposite direction that Cat walked. Then, I start to worry- What if she forgets today? What if she really doesn't like me but was playing a part instead? What if I get rejected yet again? But she can't- she just can't deny that there's something special between us. She had to have felt it; after the way she acted, there's no way she couldn't have felt it! I smile to myself. Even if she does brush today out of her head,that redheaded bundle of joy will be mine eventually. Even if she doesn't feel the same way, I'll cross my fingers and hope for the best. I speed up the hill, feeling as if nothing can bring me down.

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><p>So that's the first chapter! Based off my interpretation of The Breakfast Bunch. Reviews would be awesome! Thanks!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2 A New Dream

**Note: This was written in February on my Victorious blog (I copied and pasted from it), so it will seem a bit out of date.**

Hey guys, I finally have time to write again! Did you guys see the Worst Couple? Wow, lots of drama there. It's really too bad that Beck and Jade broke up. I really hope they get back together soon...

Anyway, I decided to make this story a three-shot! This episode will be BASED off of The Gorilla Club and have some elements of The Worst Couple. However, this is entirely different and separate from both episodes. Hope you guys enjoy it!

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><p><strong>Robbie's POV<strong>

"Oh Robbie, thanks so much for the panda!" Cat squeals, hugging the stuffed little creature to her chest tightly.

I smile at her warmly. Today is Valentine's day, and I decided to once again attempt to get out of the Friend Zone and get her a nice present. I remembered that on the day we had Saturday detention, she said she wanted a panda (which happens to be her second favorite animal besides giraffes), so I decided to give her one- actually, I gave her two. The stuffed panda came along with the Adopt-A-Panda certificate I got for her the other day. So yes, I literally bought her a panda.

"You're welcome," I say shyly as she kisses its cotton-candy-pink nose. Of course, I didn't just get her ANY panda. I got her a pink-and-white panda instead of a regular one. I wouldn't be surprised if she's in her own little Cat-heaven right now. "What are you going to name it?"

She puts the bear down beside her and smiles at me. "Sparkles."

I frown, confused. "Isn't that the name of one of your giraffes?"

Her face falls and now she looks sad. "Yeah, but my brother put it through his paper shredder and made a pillow out of his remains." A tear trickles out of her eye and she quickly wipes it away. "I'm going to miss him..."

_How do you fit a giraffe into a paper shredder? _I wonder, but my attention quickly focuses back on Cat, who is now crying because of me. "Aw, Cat, I didn't mean to make you cry!" I say, putting my hand on her thigh in my attempt to comfort her. "He's in a better place now. Besides, you have a new friend now to cheer you up."

Her tears fade away instantly. "You're so right, Robbie!" she exclaims happily, leaning over on the couch to hug me. Thank god she can't see my face because I swear, it is probably beet red by now. "He can give my brother sweet dreams while he sleeps!"

Hmm, that's not really what i meant by "in a better place," but why not go with it. I don't feel like making her upset again because I actually have one more surprise for her. I wrote her a poem and put how I felt about her in it (hey, guys can write poems, too! Don't judge me!). I put it in a little black velvet box that I keep inside Rex's jacket.

Speaking of Rex, where is he? Oh yeah, I forgot, he's in the bathroom. Rex has the stomach virus right now and asked me to put him in the bathroom when Cat came over. His excuse for doing was, "Just looking at you turning into a bag of fluff over that girl just makes me feel worse!", but I know deep down inside, below all his gankness, he's happy for me. Hey, that's what best friends are for, right?

"Hey, Cat? I have something important to tell you, but I'll tell you after I go get something," I say, running up to my bathroom upstairs.

"Kk!" she says, playing with a thread on the couch. "This thread is so long! It's like a magic trick! Hahaha!"

_Oh, Cat._ I shake my head, amused at my naive little friend, and sprint up the narrow staircase and down the small, creaky hallway. My parents aren't the richest in the world, so we bought a smaller, older house in the suburbs outside Los Angeles when we moved here a long time ago. No one has seen my house except Cat, which makes one point obvious- I only let people I care about the most see my house.

As I get my box out of Rex's jacket, he turns his head towards me and says, "Go get your girl, Rob. Even though she's a wack-job redhead who doesn't know that Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana are the same person."

"Thanks, Rex," I say and smile. That was quite a compliment coming from him.

I take the box downstairs and head over to the couch. "Cat! You here?" I call, not seeing her red head peeking over the couch any longer.

In the kitchen, I hear her calling out, "Sparkles! Come back to mommy! We were having so much fun together!"

I go over to see what's going on and find her crawling on the floor, looking under the dining room table.

"Cat, what are you doing?" I ask incredulously.

"Sparkles disappeared! I don't know where he is! Maybe he didn't like me..." she says, turning to look at me with a sad frown.

Suddenly, a life-sized Sparkles (the panda, not the deceased giraffe) lunges from its den under the table and warps its paws around Cat. "Aaaaah! Robbieeeee!" she screams as Sparkles pulls her back and disappears into thin air.

"Cat!" I shout, frantically looking under the table for her. Then, I search the entire house. I even used that Pearphone app to try and locate her phone, but all I got was "Location cannot be determined at this time. Please try again." Finally, I look under the table one last time. She's gone. Somehow, I lost her. She's never coming back and worse yet, she'll never know how I felt about her.

I sit there in shock and tears start pooling in my eyes. "I love you," I whisper into the air, hoping she could hear me. Then, I put my head in my hands and cry.

"Robbie! Robbie, wake up! Class is over!" someone says, shaking my shoulder vigorously.

I open my eyes, expecting to be in my house without Cat, but I am amazed to find her petite figure standing above me. She's wearing a pink t-shirt with a cupcake on it, and her long, red hair caresses down her shoulders. For some reason, she looks worried. I wonder why...

_Wow, she's so adorable... Wait, CAT? My mind _finally wakes up, and I stare up at her, not believing her existence.

"Cat!" I exclaim, standing up and hugging her tightly. "I'm so glad to see you!"'

She just laughs her adorable laugh that I've always loved. "Me too! It's been a whole thirty minutes since we last talked! One time, my brother took 30 minutes in the bathroom and brought a massager with him. I had no idea what he was doing... ROBBIE!"

"Present!" I yell, startled. My eyes flutter open, and I realize that I was zoning out unintentionally while she was talking.

"Are you having nightmares again?" she says, concerned. Oh, that explains why she is worried; I must've fallen asleep in class yet again. "I thought Lane helped you with that already."

"This time, it's different, though. The nightmares aren't about Rex anymore." I say.

"What are they about? Evil ponies and unicorns? Those are the worst!" Cat gasps.

"No, not at all. They were about..." I stop, realizing what I was about to say. She can't know yet; it's too soon to tell her how I feel. Ever since detention, she hasn't changed a bit. No more signs saying that she likes me. I will make my move sooner or later, though... Actually, I choose later. No way am I facing rejection yet again, especially from the only person who means something in my life.

'Never mind, I'll get over them sooner or later."

"Okay." Cat says cheerily, her eyes wandering off into the distance. "Oh yeah! I was going to ask you: do you wanna go to the Gorilla Club with me tonight? I wanna ride the big bunny that shoots out the fire again!" She squeals and claps her hands together excitedly.

"I don't know, Cat, that place seems dangerous for skinny nerds like me..." I say, unsure on how to feel about this favor. "Can you get anyone else to go with you?"

Cat shakes her head. "No, Trina is taking Jade to see The Scissoring 2 to try and cheer her up after the break-up, Tori and Andre are singing their new song together at Kareoke Dokie, and Beck says that he has to go curl up in the fetal position and cry himself to sleep."

Aw, poor Beck and Jade. They've been taking this break-up pretty hard. And why is Trina helping Jade, of all people? That's strange...

I sigh in defeat. "Alright, I'll go with you."

"Yay!" she cries, jumping almost as high as she did when she was wearing Jupiter Boots. "I love you, Robbie! See you at eight!" She skips out of Sikowitz's classroom happily in her pink flip-flops.

Her words send chills down my spine. I just wish she really meant those words. "I love you, too," I whisper sadly as I watch her go. I stand perfectly still in my spot until the bell rings.

That night, I pick Cat up precisely at eight and we drive over to the Gorilla Club, which ironically is only five minutes away from her house. I didn't exactly know what to wear to a club like this, so I threw on a white t-shirt with "ADORKABLE" in black lettering, baggy jeans, and a pair of old, beat-up sneakers. However, Cat chose to stay in her pink t-shirt and jean shorts.

As we get out of the car and walk towards the door, Cat gets excited. She grabs my hand and pulls me through the crowd of thugs hanging out at the entrance. I can still smell that scent- sweat and smoke- on my clothes as we arrive at the "Den of Pain."

"Oooh, look! There's the bunny!" she cries excitedly. "C'mon, let's go!"

"Cat, that doesn't look safe-" I say, but she interrupts me. "BUNNYYYY!" she shouts and runs over to the flaming thing of death.

_Oh god, this is NOT going to end well, I think to myself. _I run over to stop her, but I'm too late; she's already sitting on the bunny, clapping her hands and laughing like crazy.

"Cat, don't do this! It's too dangerous!" I shout, remembering the last time I came here a while ago with Andre and Beck. Some guy got thrown off the bunny and it put him in a coma for a year before he died. Imagining Cat having a similar fate made my heart twinge with worry.

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" she shouts, looking angrily at me. "I've done this before, Robbie! Why are you so mean to me?"

"I'm not being mean Cat! I'm just-" Before I can finish my sentence, the ride starts up without warning. Cat starts to smile in delight, but suddenly realizes what's going on. The rider didn't even announce that he was starting the ride! However, she seems to ignore this fact and hangs on for dear life to the bunny's neck, laughing the whole time as the ride moves faster and faster- faster than it should.

"Cat! The ride's broken! Whatever you do, don't let go!" I cry, panicking beyond belief.

Cat, hearing my voice, does the exact opposite of what I said to do. "What are you talking about? This is amazing! Wheeee! Look, I'm on a roller coaster!" she hollers, sitting up and putting her hands in the air. Suddenly, the bunny comes to an abrupt stop, and my worst fears come true. The force of the stop hurls Cat off the back of the bunny, and she lands hard on the cement.

The crowd gasps with shock, and everyone in the building turns to look at her. The person managing the ride picks up his phone and calls for an ambulance, but I don't care what they're doing. All I care about is my redheaded angel lying lifeless on the ground.

"CAT!" I scream, not bothering to hide the grief and terror in my voice. I run over to her and kneel down next to her. She is curled up on her side, and her head is bleeding pretty badly. "Cat, wake up, please wake up, please! Don't die on me!" I say frantically, shaking her shoulders, hoping for some sign of life to come up.

Oh my god, my dream was a sign! What if she really is dead? What if she really is gone? How can I live knowing that I could've done something to stop her from going on that fire-breathing demon? Automatically assuming that she's dead, I look at her sweet face and this time, I am not ashamed to let the tears pour down my face in waterfalls. _She's gone, diphead. Told you she was a freak. Serves you right for trying to make a move on her, Rex echoes in my head._

"SHUT UP!" I scream at him. My whole world starts to collapse around me. What am I going to tell her family? Her brother? The gang? This can't be happening! My thoughts send me into a downward spiral...

"...Robbie?" she croaks, opening her eyes halfway and interrupting my moment of insanity.

She's alive! "Oh my god Cat, thank god!" I exclaim. "I thought you were dead!" I pull her up to a sitting position and into a bone-crushing hug.

"Ow!" she cries out, and I pull away. I was so excited that I've forgotten how bad of a condition she's really in.

"Are you okay?" I ask, examining her for any other signs of injury. A couple of bruises are starting to form on her arms and her right leg is twisted in a weird angle.

"I don't know... That was a mean bunny!" she whispers with a pathetic look in her eyes. "He must've kidnapped my friend and hurt me on purpose!"

"I'm sure he was, Cat," I say nicely, even though I'm a little alarmed inside. This was more unlike Cat than usual. She might have a concussion or something even worse.

"Everything hurts, Robbie," she says softly, tears trickling slowly down her eyes and smearing her mascara. "I can't move anything without knives ripping through me. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. Please don't be mad at me. I need you." She squeezes my hands tightly and buries her head, sobbing hysterically at the pain.

I kiss the top of her head, partially matted with dry blood, and hold her close. "Don't worry, Cat; I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. You're going to be fine."

_Please let her be okay, _I pray as we huddle and wait for the medic to come. It doesn't take it long for them to get there. As I watch her get carried and strapped onto the gurney and the ambulance drives away, I feel the most horrible I've felt in years. Past mistakes and horrors come back to torture me, and I squint my eyes shut as I try to ward them off. But I am unsuccessful, and they leave me wondering- _Why do I, Robbie Shapiro, always end up hurting the ones I care about the most? Why must I do everything wrong? Rex is right this time- I can't do anything right. Nothing at all._

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><p>So that's Chapter 2! I tried to make it as realistic and as in-character as possible, but the characters have never really been in deep emotional pain before in the show, so I had to take an educated guess on both Cat and Robbie. I originally wasn't going to put the accident in there because I was afraid it would make the characters OOC, but I decided to keep it in there because of the drama it creates ;). Have any questions, comments, or advice? Reviews would be the best place to do that! (hint, hint). Chapter 3 will be up soon! :D<p> 


	3. Chapter 3 A New Future Part 1

**Note: I wrote this on the Victorious wiki the day after Tori and Jade's Playdate aired, so forgive me if the introduction is a little outdated.**

Hey guys! This is the third chapter of my Cabbie story! This is going to have some scenes from Tori and Jade's Playdate in it and my interpretation based on pictures seen from the filming of The Blonde Squad. Prepare for some intense drama and Cabbie fluff headed your way! I'm thinking of breaking this chapter into two/three parts, but i don't know exactly where I'm going with this yet, so forgive me if it's really awful. Thanks and enjoy!

**WARNING: There is some mild cursing (including the f-bomb) and some subtle innuendos, but I'm just doing what I think is right for the story. So read at your own risk.**

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><p><strong>ROBBIE'S POV<strong>

Ugh, I'm in such a bad mood right now. Today has just been awful. I missed my bus, Jade pulled my pants down in front of everyone in Sikowitz's class (improv- She was the bully and I was the victim. How ironic.), and guitar isn't going to be fixed for another month since Trina wrecked it (it was really expensive, too!). In fact, this whole month has been awful. Cat still doesn't know I have feelings for her and lately, I've been getting so anxious around her that there are days where I'd just avoid her altogether. Sure, I felt bad about it, but at least I wouldn't make a fool of myself in front of her. Besides, she never noticed when I ignored her because she had other people to talk to- other people better than plain old me.

I sigh and put my head in my hands as I lean against the lockers in the main hallway. Yes, I am still at Hollywood Arts at 11:00 at night. Sikowitz needed the main characters to rehearse for this new play we're doing called "All Because of You." It's some romance/drama story that a 16 year old girl wrote and got really famous for it- and guess who the main characters are? Tori and Beck. Jade is going to be PISSED; she's still taking the break-up pretty hard, I guess. So much for the whole let's-attempt-to-be-friends-after-singing-an-awesome-duet thing. Jade is the main girl's ex-best friend (how convenient) and Andre is the bad guy who tries to get back at Jadelyn, Tori's character (even MORE convenient, because Andre and Tori are really good friends and Jadelyn is Jade's real name). So yes, this play is full of ironies, if that's even a word. I'm playing one of Chad's (Andre's character) mean friends, and Cat is an alternate for Tori, poor thing. She was so excited to finally get a good part in a play and it happened to be just Tori's understudy.

Speaking of Cat, you're probably wondering why she isn't in the hospital in a coma right now. Well, this is two months after the accident. Turns out that she got insanely lucky with that fall. She got a concussion, a few broken ribs, a broken leg, and was bed-ridden for almost a month- well, not so lucky, maybe. I'm saying she was lucky she didn't die, for goodness sake. She was out of it for a while, but pretty soon she was back to her normal self- thinking positively about everything in the world, telling wacky stories of her brother- and forgetting about everything I did for her that night, of course. Just my luck.

At least I've gotten to sing with her for the past couple of days. Sikowitz paired us up to sing bad news to people in an upbeat way so that the news didn't seem so bad. It was going pretty well until Trina broke my guitar. I took a bold move yesterday after we sang to Beck and suggested that we make out sometime. I don't know WHY I even said that. I must've got caught up in my excitement or infatuation for Cat- her voice is amazing, so pure and gentle. Anyway, she just laughed and said I was gross, which hurt my feelings a lot more than it should have. Yet again, it made me feel like I wasn't good enough for someone as perfect as her. If you're curious, here was her Slap post after that:

**Cat: Hehehehe, making out is so gross!**

**Mood: Wondering**

**Tori: Who asked you to make out?**

**Cat: Oh, nobody... :)**

**Jade: Whoever did, I will use my scissors on him.**

**Cat: Jade, that's so mean!**

**Jade: Yeah, get used to it.**

So here I am, taking a break from rehearsal, moping about Cat, and dozing off in the process. I'm just so tired! Why won't Sikowitz just let us leave already? I close my eyes and my brain turns to mush.

Suddenly, a melodic voice echoes through the hallway and I awake to the sound of her voice. "Robbie, break's over!" she called. "Sikowitz needs you back on the set!"

I keep my head down and hope she doesn't see me because honestly, after what happened yesterday, I really am too mortified to talk to her. Unfortunately, my hopes of being camouflaged by the wall does not work. "There you are!" I hear footsteps walking towards me and I feel the vibration as she sits down beside me. "You okay? You seem really down today," she asks, concerned, and rubs my shoulder comfortingly, like she did that day in detention.

I lift my head up reluctantly and rub my bleary eyes. "Sorry Cat, it's just been a long day. A really, really long day."

She giggles. "It's still 24 hours, silly! Unless you went back in time!" She gasps and covers her mouth with awe.

I smile a little bit. _She's just so adorable._ "No, I did not go back in time, Cat."

"Aw, phooey!" she pouts, looking down at her plaid skirt. Surprisingly enough, she doesn't have makeup on today, which is totally understandable in my eyes. Why put makeup on when it's midnight and you have no one to impress? Nevertheless, she still looks beautiful to me. "Then what's wrong? You tired? Don't worry, I am too." She rests her head on my shoulder to prove her point. I catch a whiff of her strawberry shampoo and I struggle to keep myself mentally stable. It's hard to keep your feelings hidden from someone you truly care about, especially for someone as weak-minded as me.

"Yeah, I am. But it's just been an awful day for me, too. It seems like the bad luck never stops."

"Yeah, I'm sorry that Jade did that to you today," she says, lifting her head off my shoulder. "But if it makes you feel better, your Spiderman boxers were cute." She giggles and my face turns beet red. Great, now I'm never going to live this down.

"Thanks, that really helps," I say sarcastically. The smile drops off of Cat's face, and I instantly feel bad; I didn't mean to snap at her. She's just being Cat, the girl who loves to put a smile on everyone's face, even when he or she is feeling down. "I'm sorry, I'm just... Something else happened a little while ago and it's just bugging me still," I say, finally turning my head to acknowledge her.

"What happened? You can tell me! I'm good at keeping secrets!" She pursed her lips together and locked them with an imaginary key.

I sighed. "No, you're not."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she yelled in my ear.

"Remember Tori's surprise party? You told her the minute we decided to have it."

"Sorry! I love parties! And so does Tori! Didn't she deserve to know about her own party?" she giggles. I sigh, starting to get frustrated. "Now tell me what happened! I hate seeing you upset."

She gives me that puppy-dog look again, and I have to tell her. "You called me gross..." I mumbled softly.

"What did you say?"

I said it again, a little louder this time, my turning a deeper shade of red. My eyes shift to my lap in embarrassment.

"Aw, Robbie, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings! I didn't mean it!" she says softly. I find the dignity to look back up at her and her apologetic brown eyes lock on mine. "I just... I just don't think it would work out between us."

Wait... what did she just say? "What do you mean?" I asked, hoping it didn't mean what I think it meant.

She sighs sadly and plays with her fingers nervously in her lap. "You like me, don't you?"

_Crap! __She knows!_ I freeze for a second, then force my lips to move. "Just as a friend."

"I know you're lying, Robbie. I can tell because you're refusing to look at me," she says seriously, a tone that you don't hear too often coming from her. "You're a really sweet guy, but..." she trails off, shifting uncomfortably in her spot.

I feel my heart twist in pain. "But what?" I bear myself for what's coming next.

"I like guys who are... handsome. Guys with mysterious personalities and looks that can make a girl swoon. And you're just... you," she says, looking down ashamedly. "I'm sorry."

And here comes that pain- that pain of rejection, just like of that I felt oh so many times in the past; but this time, it's a hell of a lot stronger. It feels like my world is crumbling down around me.

"I understand," I whisper softly, tears stinging at my eyes. "I'm just going to go back to sleep now if you don't mind." I curl up my knees and plop my head in my arms, letting the tears silently fall into my sleeves.

She wraps her arms around my chest and hugs me for a second. "You're such a good friend, Robbie," she says softly. My heart breaks even more with just that one word- _friend._ That's all I'll ever be to her- the unlucky sap who will be stuck in the Friend Zone forever. "I'll tell Sikowitz that you went home because you're not feeling well." She stands up and I secretly peek at her a little bit as she does. Her bottom lip is quivering like crazy and she sniffles softly. It is killing her that she had to tell me this- and trust me, I feel the same way. I put my head back down quickly before she turns and walks away. I can just imagine the tears pouring down her makeup-less face.

I cry. And cry. And cry. I know it's unnatural for a guy to cry so much, but get used to it; it's who I am. _No one likes me, no one likes me; who likes me? That's right! Nobody!_ kept running through my mind. I eventually fall asleep with words in my mind that I thought I'd never conjure up: _Fuck. My. Life._ **(A/N: Yes, I know Robbie doesn't seem like a cursing kind of person, but I'm trying to make him seem like he has given up all hope of everything at the cursing parts, so that's why he's cursing- to really emphasize those bitter feelings that he has.)**

"Robbie... Dude, wake up!" I feel someone shake my shoulders vigorously, scaring me out my whits.

"Aaahh!" I scream, only to find myself looking at Andre, who looks oddly concerned. I clutch my chest and try to catch my breath. Thank god that was only a dream! Worst nightmare yet. What is up with these nightmares lately? They've just gotten worse and worse ever since Cat's accident.

"Man, what is wrong with you? You look like you just wazzed your pants," Rex chuckles.

"Rex, I'm really not in the mood," I groan and give him a mean look. He just chuckles in response.

"Robbie, this is the fifth time this week you've fallen asleep in my class," Sikowitz scolds me. "If you don't start paying attention, I'm going to have to send you down to Lane again." He pauses for a second. "Now who wants to get me some coconut milk?"

Tori sighs from the back of the room. "I'll go get some from the freezer." She gets up and walks out the door like it's a regular thing, which it is. Sikowitz just can't live without his coconut milk- it gives him visions, he says. Maybe that's why he's such a kooky acting teacher.

"Did anyone not see the casting list yet for 'All Because of You'?" he says, waving something in the air.

"That's a restraining order, Sikowitz," Beck comments.

Sikowitz looks at it. "Good Ghandi! Where did this come from? Class dismissed!" he says and drops the real cast list on the floor. He dials a number and puts his phone to his ear. "What do you mean I'm a creepy weirdo? Beyonce, baby, don't do this to me!" He frantically runs out of the room. **(A/N: Just for the record, Robbie's bad day never happened, but the play and everyone's parts are real. Tori is still Jadelyn, Cat is still the understudy, and so on and so on.)**

Since the bell hasn't ringed yet, we all stay in our seats. "You okay, Robbie? You've been out of it all week," Andre says. "Something bothering you?"

"Nah, just a rough week. You know, homework and stuff," I say lamely. "I'll get back into the swing of things eventually."

I hear Cat giggle behind me. At least someone thinks I'm funny. But when I look back at her, she's staring at her phone lovingly and texting at a furious pace.

"What's up with Cat? She seems more giddy than usual," I comment.

"Um... She met a 'new friend' at the Groovy Smoothie yesterday." Andre says slowly. I don't know why he's saying it like that- I'm not an idiot! I know what that means! Wait, I lied. What does it mean?

"New friend? Don't tell me she's trying to make the elderly laugh again," I groan. The last time she did that, an old man smashed her toe with a cane. She didn't enjoy that very much.

Andre sighs in exasperation. "No, that's not what I meant." He quickly looks back at Cat, still immersed in her texting world, and leans his head towards mine so that she can't hear him. "Cat has a date tonight at Nozu with some guy who asked her out last night. She's really excited about it."

My heart sinks down into my stomach. Something tells me that this guy is up to no good if they just met last night. "How do you guys know that? You never said that she told you about it."

"Not in person, but she did post about it on The Slap and-"

"Guys, I have a date tonight!" she suddenly squeals, holding her phone in the air. "I'm so excited!" She lets out one more squeak and skips out of the room.

"And... that." Andre says. He looks at me sympathetically. "Sorry, dude, you'll get your chance sooner or later."

"Yeah, maybe..." I sigh, looking off past Andre into the distance. I can't help but worry about Cat. What if she gets hurt again?

**CAT'S POV**

Eeeep! I'm so excited! I have a date tonight with the cutest, sweetest guy ever! Even though I've only known him for a day, he is super nice! He sneaked up behind me, kissed my hand very gentlemen-like, and handed me a piece of paper. "For you," he said and winked at me. Then, he just walked out the door. I texted him when I got home, and now we're officially going out! Not outside, of course. That would be silly!

I'm literally sitting on the edge of my seat right now at Nozu. I hope he shows up- I dressed up all pretty for him! One time, my brother dressed up as a girl and tried to meet other troubled girls. Hehehe, that didn't go so well! I put on my sparkliest pink tank top and some really cute skinny jeans with light pink heels. I love pink! It reminds me of cotton candy and strawberries!

Ooh, I see him walking through the door now! Aw, he's so cute! He runs a hand through his wavy brown hair and looks around the room- he must be looking for me!

"Ian!" I call and wave my hand wildly to get his attention. "Over here!" I giggle as he sees me and smiles, the dimples appearing on his cheeks. He walks over and sits down across from me.

"Hey Cat. Wow, you're even prettier up close," he says, looking down at my top and quickly looking back up. I knew the sparkly tank top was the way to go! Everyone loves sparkles!

I giggle some more. "Thanks! You're not so bad yourself."

"Thanks," he replies, his smile widening. Then, we start to talk. We talk about so many things! Like about unicorns and puppies and how cute it was when he gave me that stunning smile. I'm having such a good time! And he's so much sweeter in person! Except he keeps looking down a lot. My top must be really pretty! I should wear it more often!

Eventually, after we eat, he puts his phone back in his pocket and pays the bill. "Wanna get out of here?" he says softly with a mysterious twinkle in his eye.

"I'd love to!" I say, and we walk out the door. However, I skip. Skip, skip, skip! Isn't skipping fun?

"So where are we going? Freezy Queen? I love ice cream! I know there's one right down the road from here, and we can get a big one to share, just like they do in the mov-" He cuts me off and kisses me on the lips. My heart burns and my hands travel up to his soft head of hair. When he pulls away, I'm speechless. "Whoa, Daddy," I breathe.

"You like that?" he asks, chuckling at my reaction.

I giggle shyly. "Yes." I peck him on the cheek in return. "Now can we get some ice cream now?"

He smiles slyly. "Maybe later. I just need to give you something first."

Now I'm excited. "Ooh, a present? What is it? Is it candy? I love candy!"

He gives me a weird look. "No.. but it's better than that," he whispers in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. He kisses me on the neck right below my chin and I giggle again. That tickles! Then, he kisses me again, and that burning feeling starts up in my heart again and travels through my body. Why am I burning? We're not even in a fire! What's happening to me? But... I like it. A lot.

He deepens the kisses and pulls me close, and I wrap my arms around his neck. This is nice! Best present ever! Suddenly, I find myself pressed against the wall, and I can't breathe. He's kissing me so passionately that I can't get a breath in edgewise! I start squirming a little bit in his grasp, but it doesn't seem to work.

Then, I feel his hands... travel, and something my mom told me about stuff like this comes to mind- _This isn't right._ I finally pull him away from me, my heart still racing. "Ian? Aren't you taking things a little fast? We just met yesterday..."

"Oh come on! You too chicken to be with a guy like me?" he chuckles, the nice act gone. "I like blondes better, anyway." He starts to walk away. Wait... what the heck just happened?

"Ian!" I run towards him and yank his arm. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're dumped, with a capital D. Also the first letter for 'ditzy' and 'dumb as a doorknob'!" he snarls.

"What happened? I thought you were having a good time! And I really like you," I whimper.

"Well, I lied! So what?" he says. Then, my phone buzzes. I take out my PearPhone and unlock it. My background is of me, Tori, and Jade at Kareoke Dokie.

"Are those your friends?" he says, suddenly interested.

"Yeah..." I mumble, stuffing my phone quickly into my pocket.

"Damn, they're hot! Can I have their phone numbers?" he exclaims.

Hot tears start to pool in my eyes. Now he wants Jade and Tori instead of me? They're not even blondes! I tried to get Jade to dye her hair blond once, but she just told me she'd rather get hit by a bus.

"No!" I yell, suddenly furious, which is very unlike me. "You're a meanie! We're over!" I stomped my foot angrily and gave him my best growl.

"Fine! Who'd like someone as annoying as you, anyway? You red-headed freak!" he shouted and ran away as fast as he can.

My anger gives way to sadness. Why does this always happen to me? I go out with a guy that seems nice but instead is a... Hehehe, that's a dirty word! I can't say that! Why can't someone like me for me? What's wrong with me?

I walk back briskly to the restaurant. It's always about Tori and Jade, Tori and Jade, blah, blah, blah. They are just SO incredibly perfect, and I'm the girl that everyone ignores. Why can't someone just pay attention and love me without smashing me down in the process? Happy Cat is going bye-bye! Oh no!

I burst through the door at Nozu and rush to the music room in the back, not caring about what people think of me. I collapse against the brick wall near the EMERGENCY EXIT door and cry. Cry about all the pain and loneliness that's been hiding inside of me. Happy Cat is gone... for now. Phooey.

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><p><strong>Note: "All Because of You" is actually real; it's the story I've been working on since September and it's now 130 pages! And Cat does seem a little OOC, I apologize for that, but I had to do it in order to intensify the drama. Isn't Cat so cute when she's so naive? I hope you got the innuendo involved with the sparkly top; I thought it was a unique way to show Cat's naiveness to you guys. Last chapter will be posted tomorrow! How will Robbie find Cat? Will they ever get together? Find out soon!<strong>

**Reviews will be highly appreciated. Thanks again for reading!  
><strong>


	4. Chapter 4 A New Future Part 2

**Note: Once again, copied and pasted off of my Victorious wiki blog. This is slightly more relevant (March 23rd), so it won't seem as outdated. And yes, I had an AMAZING time at prom, thanks for asking! :D**

OMG LAST CHAPTER! Thanks so much for the reviews! I'm so excited to write this chapter because I know this is what all of you have been waiting for! And yes, this is chock-full of amazing Cabbie fluff and is as realistic as possible! Next, I will be choosing a submission on my "You get to choose the plot!" blog (on the Victorious wiki) and writing a story based off of a pairing and an episode. And hopefully, by the end of this summer, I will have "All Because of You," my 130+ page story, done by then!

That is what is to come for my future writing ventures! Peace, love, and CABBIE! Oh, and my prom is tomorrow, so I'm in a SUPER HAPPY MOOD right now! Hope you all enjoyed the story and I would _**love **_to hear your comments!

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><p><em><strong> Robbie: Got my first singing gig today! I'm performing a new song I wrote at Nozu tomorrow night and they're going to offer me<strong>__** $15-$20 an hour to perform regularly if I do well! Just have to drop off my stuff today... New car, here I come!**_

_(Note: This is from TheSlap .com, but the damn editor won't let me space the stupid story right! :P)**  
><strong>_

**Rex: Hey, you promised to buy me some hair gel, wazzbag! I gotta look hot for my Northridge girls ;)**

**Robbie: I don't remember you saying that, Rex...**

**Rex: Well it was implied! Now get me some before I go crazy in the head!**

**Cat: Rex, stop being rude to Robbie! Good luck! :)))))**

**Robbie: Thanks, Cat :]**

**Tori: Congrats, Robbie! You're gonna kill it!**

**Andre: Yeah, that's my bro! Break a leg!**

**Beck: Awesome dude! Tell us how it goes!**

**Jade: I don't care. Rex, get a life!**

**Rex: You don't know what I got!**

**Jade: Oh yeah? You're the one that has an awkwardly large hand shoved up your a-**

**Cat: Jade, be nice!**

**Jade: DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO. **

**Tori: Hey, doesn't Cat have a date there with Ian today?**

**Robbie: Um... wow, what a coincidence, isn't it? I know nothing!**

**Tori: ...okay...**

**Jade: Yeah, that's a coincidence, alright. The nerd is hiding a secret... and I know what it is.**

**Robbie: You couldn't possibly know what it is... Stop playing mind games with me! :(**

**Jade: Make me.**

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><p><strong>Cat: Hehehe, going to Nozu with an amazing guy tonite!<br>**

**Tori: Um, Cat... you've only known him for a day and you're going out with him already? Be careful.**

**Cat: WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?**

**Andre: Chill, Little Red, Tori's just looking out for you, that's all.**

**Cat: Kk :D I forgive you, Tori!**

**Tori: Okay... what did I do?**

**Sinjin: You just became my girlfriend. Look at my relationship status :)**

**Tori: SINJIN! STOP STALKING ME! You are a creep!**

**Sinjin: And that's how my other dream ends... *sigh*'**

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><p><strong>ROBBIE'S POV<br>**

I put my Pearphone away in my jeans pocket after checking TheSlap for any new updates and keep walking towards Nozu. Surprisingly, my house is pretty close to it- only a couple blocks away! Nozu is more on the outskirts of the city; behind it is where it turns from the city into the suburbs, which is where my house is located. I start to walk faster along the paved path across from Nozu, nervous about what may happen when I get there. Jade almost blew my cover! Seriously, what is wrong with her? Why is she such a gank sometimes! Ugh, she always makes me so mad! At least Cat commented, and ultimately, that's all I care about right now.

I look to my right through the blazing sun at the palm trees lining the path and I frown. It's way too hot to be March! Yeah, it's pretty warm usually in Los Angeles, but this is just weird. 95 degrees? Really? I was never one to advocate global warming, but this crazy chiz may make me start believing in it a little bit...

With my guitar hanging on my shoulder, I start humming _What Makes You Beautiful _to make myself less stressed out and nervous. Instantly, I feel better because this song makes me think of Cat. She really doesn't know she's beautiful, and that's why she's so perfect to me. She is so nice to everyone and takes everything in with open arms. She never judges anyone and is the sweetest person I've ever met. And the best part is that she doesn't even know she's doing all these great things because that's who she actually is! She is just her red-headed, bubbly little self.

I got so wrapped up thinking about Cat that I almost didn't notice Nozu across the street. When I finally did, I almost fell down because I stopped so quickly in surprise. I run across the street and reach the back door of Nozu. I'm surprised they're even letting me come in this way. Apparently, the owner used to go to college with my mom (creepy, right?) and they've known each other for a long time, so she gave my mom a key to the back door just in case something happens to the restaurant when she's not there. Then, my mom gave it to me when I told her that I got the gig. Of course, I didn't object to that. It beats coming in the front door and everyone staring at me like "_That's _who's singing tomorrow night? Oh god, spare me the pain."

Now I'm starting to wonder... Do I really need to drop my guitar off tonight? Is this right- attempting to spy on Cat's date? Okay, I admit, going to Nozu today on the same day as Cat was not a coincidence. I'm actually really worried for her. Considering how her previous relationships panned out, I expect this one to be the same- the boy takes advantage of poor Cat and she is left hurt and confused. I don't want that to happen to her this time. I hate seeing her sad; it's like happiness shriveling away when she cries, and it makes my heart break. I won't let her get hurt this time- I hope.

I open the door and immediately trip over my own two feet as I enter the back room (the music room, as it is appropriately called, because this is where the performers get ready). Why am I such a klutz sometimes? I'd be a better dancer if I didn't have two left feet! I set my guitar down, open the case, and start to organize the music that I stuffed in there along with the guitar itself. Suddenly, I stop shuffling the papers because I faintly hear the sounds of someone crying. Weirdly enough, it's coming from where I first came in. I turn my ear towards the door so I could listen better, and a glimpse of red catches my eye. _Oh, crap. _It's Cat. I didn't trip over my own feet; I tripped over one of her feet! How was I not able to see her?

I walk quickly over to where she's sitting, which happens to be in the corner by the emergency exit. Her head is buried in her arms and sobs rack her small, fragile figure. I haven't seen her cry this hard since her accident. How bad could her date have really been? If he hurt her, God knows what I would do to that sucker... well, attempt to do, at least.

"Cat?" I say, deeply concerned. I sit down next to her. "You okay?"

"No..." she sniffles. "Happy Cat is gone. Happy Cat isn't here anymore! I want her back!"

"Okay..." I say, not knowing how else to respond to that. "Where did Happy Cat go?"

"I don't know!" she wails, mumbling into her arms.

"I'll help you find her if you'll just look at me."

Cat finally lifts her head up and acknowledges my presence. Her face is red and puffy, and her mascara is streaming down her face. Man, how long has she been crying for? "How did you know where I was, Robbie?"

"You posted on TheSlap, remember?"

Amazingly enough, she is still able to giggle through her tears. "Oh yeah, I remember! I forgot you were coming here too! Isn't the sushi delicious? Nozu has the best food in Los Angeles!"

I wait patiently for her random outburst to end. "Um, I didn't come here to eat, Cat..."

Cat frowned in confusion. "Oh yeah, that was my brother's update, but he's at its sister place in Malibu with a troubled girl he met."

My heart dropped. _Great. Of course she was so caught up in her excitement for the date that she forgot about what I was doing. _Well, at least I should let her know that I was looking out for her. "So I take it your date didn't go well?" I say lamely.

Instantly, her eyes fill up with tears again. "Worst date ever. He was such a meanie! We were having a good time, talking about unicorns and puppies, and then he took me to a nice, secluded place and started kissing me, and it got really intense, so I told him to stop and he just laughed at me and called me names! Then, he saw Tori and Jade on my phone and asked for their numbers and dumped me! Why do Tori and Jade always have to be so perfect and popular? What is wrong with me? Why do I always get hurt? Tell me, Robbie! I don't know!" She bursts into sobs again, stronger than the ones before, and covers her face with her hands.

Wow... this is a side of Cat I've never seen before. I never knew she felt that way about her two best friends. In other words, I never knew she felt as insecure as I do on a daily basis. I always thought she has this happy-go-lucky girl... I guess sometimes the deepest scars are hidden behind everything that is actually there. She is more like me than I thought. Also, when I heard her say "secluded place" and "kissing intensely," I instantly figured out what Ian's intentions were and my fists had subconsciously clenched into tight fists. That jerk was going to use her, then throw her away like any other player would! I'm in shock. Happy Cat really is gone for now, and it's my job to get her back.

I scoot a little closer and take her hands away from her face, revealing her streaked but flawless face. "Nothing is wrong with you, Cat! And I don't know why you always get hurt- maybe because you're too nice." I then wince because I realize that that was definitely the wrong thing to say.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she shouts.

"It's a good thing, Cat," I say calmly, and she starts to calm down. "There's no such thing as being too nice, actually. Niceness is what makes the world a better place, which is what you do every day."

She looks at me with wide eyes. "I do try to be nice to people, because happiness is my purpose in life!"

I grin at her because she is really just too perfect for words. "Exactly! Don't change yourself, Cat. You're fine just the way you are."

Cat gives me a small, sad smile. "Thanks, Robbie," she whispers.

"No problemo!" I say, and she laughs at my failed attempt at Spanish. I help her up, and we stand only a few feet apart. I catch my breath when I realize how close we actually are. Her strawberry shampoo starts to intoxicate me, and I can't imagine anywhere else I'd rather be.

"No, seriously- I really need to thank you, for everything. You've always been there for me when I'm down, especially when we first met, and you're just the nicest person I've ever met. You have no idea how much this means to me," she says quietly, as if she didn't want anyone else to hear. She looks up to me with those hypnotizing eyes, and I see who she really is- a sweet girl who's hurting on the inside. As soon as I realize this, I make myself a promise- to eradicate that hurt completely and make her feel like she is the most special girl to walk the Earth- even more so than Tori or Jade.

_I think I do, _I think quietly to myself. I smile at her in understanding. She smiles back and hugs me tightly, squeezing as if she'd never let go. I could practically feel the neediness and loneliness in her hug. I hug her back tightly and reciprocate the feelings- the same feelings I have felt all through my life.

We stay there for a while, just enjoying each other's presence, until I pull away (reluctantly, of course). "Hey, I know something that will cheer you up," I say, suddenly gathering an idea in my head.

"Yay, I love surprises!" She jumps up and down with excitement. "What is it? Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"Whoa, calm down there!" I chuckle, clearly amused. "Come closer and I'll tell you."

"Okay!" She bounces a little closer until the toes of our shoes are touching.

"Now close your eyes."

She giggles and squeezes them shut, a big smile forming on her face. My hands shake anxiously as I gently wipe away the mascara (symbolically, her imperfections) with my thumbs off her cheeks. I have to do this; she needs to know how I really feel because I can't hold it in much longer. I want to make her mine now before someone else can hurt her again. It's a risky move and very unlike me, but I have to do it. There's no going back now.

"Robbie, what are you doing?" she giggles some more, her voice sounding like the tinkering of wind chimes.

"You'll see." I lift her chin up a little bit with my index finger, and then I kiss her.

Whoever made up the saying "second is the best" is absolutely right; it is everything that I want it to be. She tastes like green apples and strawberries, almost the same flavor as the gum she gave me on that day in detention. A fuzzy feeling forms in my head and practically explodes, sending tingles throughout my body. The only thought that echoes in my head is- _Oh my god, I think I'm in love with this girl._ And let me tell you, it is the most amazing feeling in the world. It only intensifies when she actually starts kissing back, which I was not expecting at all. Definitely the best moment of my life so far... until I run out of air.

I eventually break myself away and find her staring at me in complete shock. Her eyes are opened so wide that they look like they're going to pop right out of her head and her mouth is gaping wordlessly at me. My heart pinches in fear- I've screwed up, big time. What have I done?

"Robbie..." She trails off, not taking her eyes off me the whole time.

My cheeks flush a bright red color. "I have to go! Bye!" I reach into my coat pocket, stuff a piece of paper in her hand, and burst through the door in a panic.

**CAT'S POV**

Holy... what just happened? That was... absolutely amazing. No guy has ever kissed me like that before- with so much caring and passion... just like in the movies! It's all starting to click now. The twinkle in his eye whenever he says hi to me, him asking me to Prome, his cardboard cutouts of me, him asking to make out a couple of days ago (hahaha, making out is so naughty, though!). Was the right guy in front of me the whole time and I just didn't know it?

I blink rapidly, trying to comprehend what has just happened, and I glance down at the small, crumpled piece of paper in my hand. I wonder what this could possibly be...? I unfold the note and read it carefully:

_Tori- Too perfect._

_Trina- Too self-centered._

_Jade- Too mean._

_Cat- Just right._

_It's always been you, Cat. It's always been you._

Hehehe, he made me Goldilocks! I'm just right! Yay! I read the note again, and I suddenly get what he's trying to say. He flirted with other girls, but I was always the one he was truly in love with.

My heart swells; he's just so sweet! Now I'm sure that I know what I want- he was right there the whole time! How was I so stupid not to notice it in the first place?

I scribble something on the back of the note, kick my heels off, and run after him, hoping that I will be able to find him and tell him the truth- Robbie Shapiro, you may be insecure; you may think no one likes you, but you are a very special person. To me.

**ROBBIE'S POV**

I run in the direction that I walked to Nozu, pounding my feet furiously against the wet cement. Of course, I have to run in the pouring rain, even though it was sunny just moments ago. Maybe the weather does mimic my mood... that would just be bizarre if that were the case.

I stop to catch my breath at a lamppost and bury my head in my hands, just like Cat had done not too long ago. What if she rejects me? I just can't deal with that pain right now, not after everything I've been through with her. Why am I such an idiot?

I think about the note I stuffed into her hand before I left, and I remember the day I wrote it all too well. It was while she was first lying in the hospital after the bunny accident. The doctor had just released her from her leg surgery, and she was lying there sleeping peacefully on the hospital bed. Since I couldn't figure out words to say to her (even while she was sleeping, pathetically enough), I would her note after note, and all but one made it into the trash can. The last note was the one I stuffed in my pocket, and then kissed her forehead and walked out of her hospital room (or whatever you call it). I figured that someday, it would come in handy, and I guess today just happens to be the day.

I just sit there, leaning against the lamppost, letting myself get more and more soaked. At this point, I don't even care anymore; actually, I'm so discouraged that I feel like curling up into the fetal position and staying there for a while. I just don't know where to go from here. I'm so wonky in the head right now! Now I understand exactly how Andre had felt about Jade- love is just confusing in general, and it may have cost me the best thing in my life.

It must've been about another 10 minutes before I heard someone frantically calling my name. "Robbie, Robbie!"

I turn to my left and there's Cat, soaked to the bone also, running towards me at full speed, as if she's running a marathon race she can't afford to lose. It doesn't take long for her to come barreling into me and almost knocking me over.

"Oh geez, I'm so sorry!" she exclaims. "Take this." She places something in my hand and leans down to catch her breath. I struggle to read the back of my note through the droplets collecting on the lens of my glasses.

_Andre- Too talented._

_Beck- Too handsome._

_Sinjin- Okay, he's just plain gross!_

_It was always you, Robbie. It was always you._

A big smile appears gradually on my face. "You... you like me back?" I squeak in surprise.

She giggles and nods in response.

"But... why? I'm a creep! I carry around a puppet, I can never do anything right, I don't even know where I'm going with my life yet! I-"

She shuts me up by kissing me full on the mouth, and my mind literally just goes blank. Is this really happening? Am I actually not a loser anymore? In your face, Rex! Now that I think about it, all he does is annoy the heck out of me. He and I will have to have a talk when I get home...

We just stand there, kissing in the rain, our arms locked around each other in a tight embrace. This is what we needed. We complete each other. She needs me just as much as I need her. It works out perfectly.

She is the first one to break away, and she looks up at me shyly and smiles. "Does that answer your question?"

On the outside, my grin reaches from ear to ear, but on the inside, I'm jumping up and down with joy. I finally got her. She's mine, and no one can take that away from me.

We stare lovingly at each other for a while, but then I start to get cold and I notice Cat starting to shiver. I wrap an arm around her waist. "Come on, I'll take you back to my house to dry off. We're going to get sick if we stay out here any longer."

"Kk! Sounds good! But can we do something first?"

I stare at her inquisitively. "Okay… so what do you want to do?"

She smiles, a twinkle appearing in her eye. "I've always wanted to sing in the rain."

I smile back triumphantly. That's the Cat I know and love. "Shall we?" I wiggle my eyebrows goofily and show her the crook of my elbow.

"We shall!" she exclaims excitedly and links her arm through mine.

We skip along the paved path in the pouring rain, singing "We're siiiiiiiinging in the rain!" at the top of our lungs, not caring who hears us. Heck, who cares what anyone thinks of me now? I finally have the girl of my dreams, and that's all that really matters to me now. The future is looking very bright for the both of us, the awkward nerd and the ditzy, bipolar girl- and I wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

><p><strong>THE END!<strong>

****Okay, I know the end is very cliché and a little OOC, but I couldn't resist because it was just such a darn cute idea! Thanks for reading again! I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews would be amazing! :D :D  
><strong>


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